Got the chance to buy a 1994 blade engine complete for £350, no history but apparently a good runner.

Question is if it turned out to need reconditioning how much is this likely to cost?

thanks,
Rich.

As a rule, a lot more than getting another engine.

Bike engines are cheap power, until you need to put a spanner on them.

You cant properly reconditon most four cylinder car engines for less than 500 quid.

Unless there is a specific (simple) problem with a bike motor, its usually far cheaper to throw it away and get another one.




But there again, they are extremely robust little b#stards....

350 quid seems VERY cheap for a pretty sought after engine - it's old enough to avoid all that catalytic converter nonsense.
If you trust your source who's telling you it's a good runner, and the serial number is completely intact and hasn't been tampered with, I'd probably go for it, however it would be very useful if you could hear it sucessfully started. When trying to get the engine started it's good to know it does actaully run.

Does it have all ancilliaries?

yep, comes complete with all electrics and starter. Mileage unknown.

Problem is I may not be able to see it before I buy.

I'd make sure the serial no. is OK, otherwise it's probably nicked, and you can't prove it's age, thus you'll require a cat, and I reckon you'll have a harder time getting a chassis number from the DVLA. In N. Ireland I've heard of 3 seperate reports of the police arriving out to check you have a valid reciept for your engine and it matches your engine number, so it's not nicked.

How do I check out the engine number??

I'll ask them on Monday what the engine number is and get them to turn it over manually.

On most nicked engines the number will be made illegible (ground off etc), so the police cannot trace it to the nicked bike.
The engine number is stamped on the right side of the crankcase, and for a UK 1994 engine should be
from SC28E-2250388
to SC28E-2350001
If you can hear it running (only run it for a VERY short space of time if it's not connected up to a radiator) that would be a big plus.

Oh yeah, make sure you get the matching CDI unit and the regulator/rectifier.
I'd just say though 350 quid is suspiciously cheap, be careful.